Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

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Recent Episodes

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Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular Saturday, December 13, 2025

Long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, George Lucas allowed the Star Wars Holiday Special to be made. What happened on the night of November 17, 1978 can never be fully explained, but we make our best effort in our annual special edition of SYSK. May the force be with us all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: What Makes a Must-Have Christmas Toy? Friday, December 12, 2025

Ever since Cabbage Patch Kids came along in 1983, there’s been an annual holiday frenzy around one particular toy – the must-have Christmas toy of the year. But what makes a toy a must-have toy? Josh and Chuck investigate (and kick off the holidays).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Hot Wheels Work Friday, December 12, 2025

If you're an American who had a childhood, you probably have some nostalgia for Hot Wheels. Get your engines revved for this trip down memory lane as we discuss these fun and iconic toys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How the Nintendo Entertainment System Changed Gaming Forever Friday, December 12, 2025

For the holidays in 1986 (and ’87) (and ’88) the most stupendous, most wanted, most amazing thing any kid could possibly get – outside of a pony, *maybe* – was the NES. That year, video games came back from the dead and changed forever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: Etch A Sketch! Friday, December 12, 2025

The Etch A Sketch is yet another classic toy that Josh and Chuck love and respect. Learn all about this Hall of Fame entry today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: Beanie Babies: Reigning Toy Craze Champion Friday, December 12, 2025

The world has seen a lot of weird investment bubbles in its time, but few of them rival the fever that gripped the world in the 90s after Beanie Babies took off. Let’s visit this strange chapter in toy history together.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Monopoly Works Friday, December 12, 2025

Since more than 1 billion people have played it, you're probably familiar with the board game Monopoly, but we bet you don't know its secret origins as a left-wing socialist teaching tool. Learn about the history, rules and cultural impact of Monopoly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: Hula-Hoops: The Toy That's A Shape Friday, December 12, 2025

We've covered our fair share of pop-culture icons and here is another - Hula-Hoops. They've been around since ancient time in some form or another, but made their name in during the Hoop Boom of the 1950s. Learn all about this popular fad and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: Cabbage Patch Kids: Must-Have Toy of the Century Friday, December 12, 2025

Surprisingly, Cabbage Patch Kids have turned up on SYSK almost as much as the Nazis or Seinfeld. It’s finally time to dive all the way into CPKs, from their controversial origins to the Christmas craze of ‘83 to their alter egos, Garbage Pail Kids.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: A Partial History of Action Figures Friday, December 12, 2025

Action figures have a long and glorious history. From GI Joes to Star Wars figures, these offshoots of dolls came along at just the right time to capture the hearts and minds of children everywhere. Learn all about the partial history of action figures right here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Play-Doh Works Friday, December 12, 2025

Do you love Play-Doh? Chuck and Josh certainly love to talk about it, from its interesting history as a wall cleaner, to its more scientific chemical properties. It's everything you ever wanted to know about the pliable children's toy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Yo-Yos Work Friday, December 12, 2025

You may have played with a yo-yo before -- perhaps you've even walked the dog -- but do you know about the physics behind what makes a yo-yo sleep and wake up? Learn all about inertia, angular momentum and the history of the yo-yo in this episode of SYSK.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Easy Bake Ovens Work Friday, December 12, 2025

Easy Bake Ovens are as iconic as a toy can get, as American as apple pie or baseball. Learn all about these light bulb cooking, working ovens that endanger children to this day, in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A Quick History of the BBC Thursday, December 11, 2025

The BBC has been around as long as there has been radio. Today we salute the venerable institution that's as British as tea and crumpets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Short Stuff: Atacama Skeleton Wednesday, December 10, 2025

In 2003, a tiny – really, really tiny – humanoid skeleton surfaced that had been taken from Chile. The only possible explanation is that it had to be an alien mummy. Right?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Operation Paul Bunyan Tuesday, December 9, 2025

If we told you that World War III was in danger of happening over the trimming of a tree would you believe us? This was Operation Paul Bunyan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Selects: What Is A Mold-A-Rama? Saturday, December 6, 2025

In the 1960s, a very cool machine debuted at the Seattle World's Fair - the Mold-A-Rama. It made real plastic toys on-demand from melted plastic pellets, to the delight of children and adults alike. They didn't last too long, but can still be found at various locations all over the United States and their retro-cool stylings are still a hit. Learn all about these cool machines in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What's the bar exam like anyway? Thursday, December 4, 2025

You've always heard about "the bar" but what do you really know about it? Unless you've taken it, probably not much. Well join the club. Let's discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Short Stuff: Camberley Kate Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Camberley Kate was the nickname for the first independent animal rescuer in England, rescuing hundreds of dogs and cats over her lifetime. Come get acquainted with a great lady! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Brutal History of Prison Labor Tuesday, December 2, 2025

The idea of prison labor is relatively new in the annals of crime and punishment. And it's just as bad as you think.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.